911: The Voltron Force Remembers
by UsagiRyu
Summary: The Voltron Force remembers that dark day.


9/11: The Voltron Force Remembers

Rating: T

The fanfic was written by UsagiRyu (Keith & Sven's memories), HarmonyWinters (Pidge & Hunk's memories), and MelodyWinters (Allura & Lance's memories).

It is dedicated to the victims of 9/11.

Warning: This deals with the events of 9/11, and may be sad or triggering to some. Please stop reading **now** if you are one of those.

DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN VOLTRON!! WEP/TOEI DOES!! WE ARE NOT DOING THIS FOR PROFIT!!

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**Keith Remembers**

As soon as I got the word that the Towers in NYC had been hit, my first thought was of my team. Especially Pidge, being the youngest. I was informed not by the news media, but by a special telegram from Space Marshall Graham himself, putting us on Alert just in case there would be more attacks. I couldn't find Pidge, but I found Hunk, Allura, and Lance in the Rec room.

"Guys," I gasped out. "There was an attack on the Twin Towers!" I announced to them.

"What?" Lance demanded.

"Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers. One hit the Pentagon. And a fourth plane was taken over by the hostages and crashed in a field in south western Pennsylvania," I explained. Then my COM blinked and I got another update from the Space Marshall. My heart fell. "The Twin Towers have collapsed." Lance turned to the TV in the Rec room and we all saw the re playing of the second plane hitting the Towers and the collapsing of the mighty buildings.

I canceled the afternoon practice and put all our forces on Alert. I felt totally useless. My country, America, had been attacked and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I walked around the Castle of Lions in a daze. It wasn't until that night, while on Earth, in New York City, the fires at Ground Zero still burned that I finally broke down and cried.

Alone.

_**Lance Remembers**_

If there was one moment that summed what we did everyday, what we fought for, it has to be 9/11. The day that not only the earth stood still, but the whole galaxy did. It was an act of pure evil and hatred that nobody saw coming.

That's where I come in…a member of a force that stood for peace, justice and freedom.

And I couldn't even defend my own planet.

I remember when Keith came to tell us. Our usually unruffled and fearless Commander barged into the room with the most horrified look on his face. I immediately knew it was bad.

Then Keith told us.

I remember leaping to my feet, in disbelief. A terrorist strike? Sure, New York had a bad reputation for mobbing and car thefts. But a terrorist strike? On two of the most important buildings in the country?

I watched the footage. At first I was horrified as I saw the first plane crash into one of the towers. Moments later, another plane streamed across the sky into the other building. The more I watched it, the angrier I got.

Who had the right to destroy those innocent lives on those planes? Those lives that worked in the buildings? Who ever was responsible not only took away those lives, but took away the hopes, dreams and ideas of freedom. A once carefree country was turned upside down and stripped of it's pride.

I did not know anybody on those planes. But I could not get them out of my mind. There was a message there. That message screamed at us.

Nobody was safe. There is always going to be evil. Innocent people are going to lose their lives in a senseless battle.

But I had a message for them.

We have Voltron on our side. Someday, those responsible on the attack of my very own planet ARE going to pay. Conquering Lotor and his goons is just a start. Let them all beware and be fearful. What goes around comes around. Those people will not die in vain. They will be avenged. Even if it means I have to take my own red lion and hunt the bastards down myself.

I watch the footage until it is evident I can't take it no more. I could feel the heat in my face as I glared at the screen. Keith rescues me from having to watch and hear the footage, telling me to go let Pidge know.

I issue a nod and storm out, looking at no one. I found Pidge clowning around in his room. He looked so innocent and carefree. For a brief moment, I hated him for that.

I told him the news and he looked at me with a look that reminded me he is only a kid.

"Where are you going?" he called out as I walk away.

I shrugged. "Don't know," I lied. "I just want to be alone."

I retrieved a bottle from my liquor stash and head for my Red lion, hoping they wouldn't think to look there until I was passed out.

I sit in the control seat and drink away my thoughts. My memories of MY free country had just been tainted, as if black paint had just been tossed all over them.

Then I did something that nobody seen me do before.

I break down and cry angrily.

"I'm sorry," I sob. I stare out into the fiery lava through the eyes of my lion. I could picture the planes crashing. Then I heard evil laughing.

Laugh all you want.

We will hunt you down and you will pay.

I took another swig and the liquid burnt all the way down.

Then I passed out.

**Pidge Remembers**

When I remember September 11, 2001, I feel almost embarrassed to think about how I found out. It was eleven am in the morning, and I had been ready and waiting for lion practice for 30 minutes. I was bored, and eventually my boredom took the form of my doing handstands repeatedly against the wall, trying to arc my legs up and onto the wall as soundlessly as I could. My dusty shoes left faint marks on the gray-blue wall.

"Pidge!" Lance rapped at my door and I started, coming down in an ungraceful manner.

"I'm ready; I'm coming." I opened the door.

"No, it's--," Lance began. "Keith cancelled afternoon practice. There was a terrorist attack on earth and the twin towers were destroyed."

I nodded, but automatically, wishing I'd focused less on Science (which is my passion), and more on intergalactic geography. The words 'twin towers' meant nothing to me. Indeed, I wasn't even from earth.

When Lance left, I realized there was an uncanny hush over the castle. I turned on the television and watched footage about the terrorist attack. The footage didn't surprise me as much as my reaction to it did. I started shaking, just a little at first, so I picked up a blanket and put it around my shoulders. I began to think about my own home planet Balto, being destroyed by nuclear missiles from King Zarkon. I thought about death and destruction and all the evil in the world. Suddenly, I felt small and scared and very alone. My shaking got worse until my whole body was vibrating like I was on a bus. I had to press my lips together, trying to be every inch the solider and keep a lid on my emotions.

Suddenly I couldn't keep it inside any longer and a sob escaped. Maybe at 12, I was supposed to be a pilot and a solider, but just for a moment all I wanted was for my Mom to hold me.

Later on, I would see the dusty footprints, and the reminder immediately nauseated me. As soon as I could, I scrubbed at the stains until the paint peeled away from the wall.

**Sven Remembers**

I was on Planet Pollux when I heard about the attacks on New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. I had just proposed to Sven when Keith COM'ed me. I had wanted to tell him my happy news and tease him about not marrying Allura. But I stopped short when I heard the pain in Keith's voice.

"Keith, what is wrong?" I asked.

"There was an attack on America..." Keith said then proceeded to give me all the details.

"Oh my God," I whimpered. "Rommy, turn on the T.V.!" As soon as we turned on the T.V., we saw the replays of the attacks. I put my arm around her and buried my face in her bright hair.

Then I did something I had not done in a long time. I went into the family chapel of the Castle on Pollux and prayed for my adopted country.

_**Allura Remembers**_

If someone was to ask me what event had the most important impact on me, I would have to answer 9/11. It wasn't an important day for my planet, Arus, but for earth, home to three members of the Voltron force. I would never forget that devastating day...

I was in the recreation room with Lance and Hunk. The guys chatted and joked with each other, passing the time until we had to assemble for their afternoon practice with the lions. I sat back, comfortable in the arm chair, taking in the scene. Suddenly, the door opened and Keith barged in with a pale face.

"Whoa, Keith. Where is the fire?" Lance asked, obviously alarmed by the unusual panic in the Commander's face. Keith stood in the center of the room, looking from one face to the next, as if contemplating what to say. Finally, he turns his attention to Lance, and tells us about the terrorist attacks.

Lance leapt to his feet, hands clenched at his side. Hunk stared at Keith in disbelief.

Keith reached for the remote but the television had already changed to footage of the disaster. We all watched in horror as they played the footage of two planes crashing in to two large buildings. I stared with wide eyes as I watched the buildings cave in on themselves, crashing to the ground in a pile of smoke and flames.

"Oh no," I whisper as I cup my hands over my mouth. It was horrible. All those people. All those families. The suffering. The pain. The anguish and fears. A knot tied itself in the pit of my stomach. I thought of my own people. "I am so sorry guys," I tell them sincerely.

I then turn to Coran, who had followed behind Keith. I ordered him to lower the Castle of Lion's flags to half mast and requested a moment of silence. Keith looked at me with glazed eyes. He gave me a tiny smile.

"Thank you, Princess," he whispered. I smiled back. It wasn't much. I knew I couldn't bring back those lives that were selfishly taken before us, but offering them the respect they deserved was the least I could do. We all stood in silence, our right hands covering our hearts. We watched the footage some more.

Then the reality of it all hit me like a ton of bricks.

There will never be peace. Nobody was spared the brutality of evil. As we fought for the freedom of Arus, there are other planets facing the same thing.

The next time I sat in my blue lion, I tied a white ribbon around the shifter on the control panel. It was my reminder of why we risked our lives with every battle. It gave me strength, more determination to abolish all evil and free the galaxy of its torture. No innocent life should have to suffer.

We ARE the Voltron force. We stand for justice and peace. We are not just Arus's protector. We are the sign of freedom to all mankind.

I am sorry, victims of 9/11. Whoever you are, I know you are special, like my people are special to me. We are too late to save you, but we continue to fight for the freedom of people like you.

That is my royal promise.

**Hunk Remembers**

Being half Japanese, and Buddhist, I grew up in a house where intoxicants and over-indulgence were frowned upon. One of my first memories was of hiding in the front closet in our hallway stuffing my face with an overabundance of chocolate chip cookies. I must have been around four. When my mother found me, she sighed wearily, and said, "Tsuyoshi…I see you've strayed from the eightfold path once again." She never got angry at me per se, she just got disappointed. To me, it was far worse then anger.

Intoxicants were easy for me to stay away from. But emotional eating has always been a problem for me. Hence, what I remember most about 9/11 is how much I ate.

I had already had my morning fruit loops and tea, and was settled in the recreation room to watch television. Arusian cartoons always made me laugh. Lance sat with me, glancing up when I laughed, and reading the newspaper in between.

Allura came in the room to join us. I smiled at her, and patted the seat next to me. A moment later, Keith arrived to tell us about the terrorist attacks. Almost ironically, in the shocked silence that followed Keith's announcement came the words, "We will be interrupting this program for an emergency bulletin brought to us from the planet earth…"

"We'll be on alert of course," Keith warned us. There was no hint of emotion that crossed Keith's stoic face, but the sudden pallor gave him away. We sat and watched the footage. "And of course practice this afternoon is cancelled. Lance, could you just let Pidge know?"

"Will do," Lance said, and got up and left.

Eventually Keith turned and left too, and Allura followed him as she often did. I was alone. I sat by myself watching the horrible footage, my eyes burning as I thought of the panic and despair that must be going on on my home planet. My heart ached for everyone, but especially for the children who were killed, and for the ones who lost their parents in the tragedy.

Nanny brought a couple of trays in for lunch, but no one claimed them. Eventually I ate them both. As I sat glued to the television watching the footage I also polished off some chips, some popcorn and half a bag of cookies.

Eventually I went to my room. I chewed a couple of anti-acid tablets and lay on my bed groaning. I felt hot and sick. My stomach hurt so badly, I curled up in the fetal position.

But the pain in my stomach that night was nothing compared with the one in my heart.

THE END


End file.
